Dare to Lose Your Locks and Fund Life-Saving Journeys Across Our Region
Are you or someone you know sporting a fantastic beard, a mighty mane of hair, or maybe just keen to embrace a silky-smooth look for a day? East Midlands Freewheelers (EMF) Blood Bikes invites you to take on the ultimate grooming challenge: the Shave or Wax for Charity fundraiser!
This bold, eye-catching, and personal challenge is an incredible way to generate excitement and essential funds for our volunteer-led service across Derby, Nottingham, and Leicester. All you need is courage and a good razor (or a brave waxer)!
Why East Midlands Freewheelers Needs Your Courage
The East Midlands Freewheelers are a team of dedicated volunteers who provide a free, urgent courier service to the NHS across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire.
We operate 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, often in challenging weather conditions. Our riders transport critical medical supplies that the NHS needs immediately, including:
- Blood products for emergency transfusions
- Urgent samples for time-sensitive testing
- Donor breast milk for premature babies
- Essential documents and medical equipment
We are vital to local healthcare, ensuring hospitals can deliver high standards of patient care outside normal hours. We receive no government funding, relying entirely on donations and fundraising heroes like you.
Host Your Own: The EMF Brave the Shave Challenge
A “Shave or Wax” event can be a highly engaging fundraiser, whether you do it privately, in a group, or even live on social media!
Step 1: Define Your Challenge
- What’s Going? Decide what you’re shaving or waxing: a beard, head of hair, eyebrows, or even legs/chest. The more dramatic the change, the easier it is to get sponsors!
- Set the Date and Time: Choose a specific moment for the big reveal. Having a deadline helps drive sponsorship donations. You could host it at a local pub, community hall, or stream it live online.
- Find a Barber/Witness: Ensure you have a professional barber, trusted friend, or family member to safely execute the shave or wax. Safety first!
Step 2: Set Fundraising Tiers and Goals
The key to this challenge is setting ambitious, visible goals that motivate sponsors:
- Minimum Goal: Set a visible minimum target (e.g., £150) that you must reach before the shave can happen.
- Tiered Rewards: Make the challenge more fun by adding tiers:
- £250 Reached: Shave the beard into a ridiculous handlebar mustache for 24 hours before shaving it completely.
- £500 Reached: The person doing the shaving/waxing gets to choose the clippers guard (or flavour of wax).
- £750 Reached: Dye the remaining hair bright pink before shaving it all off!
- The Power of Before and After: Take plenty of “Before” photos, and make sure your big shave moment is captured for the “After” reveal.
Step 3: Promote and Collect Funds
- Online Page: Set up an online fundraising page (e.g., on JustGiving or Enthuse) immediately. This allows for quick, easy donations and tracks your progress toward the tiers.
- Tell the Story: Explain why you are shaving. Mention the specific life-saving items the Blood Bikes transport and why their service is so critical to local hospitals.
- Use Social Media: Share your online page constantly! Use before photos, countdown timers, and shout-outs to every sponsor. Use the hashtag #EMFShave and tag the charity!
Step 4: Make a Difference
Once the challenge is complete and the hair is gone, please send the funds you’ve raised directly to the East Midlands Freewheelers. Our fundraising team is ready to help you make the transfer safely and easily.
The Difference Your Shave Makes
Every hair you lose translates directly into essential operational support for our volunteer riders and bikes.
- £30 covers the fuel costs for a single life-saving journey between two hospitals.
- £150 helps fund vital maintenance and insurance for one of our Blood Bikes for a whole month.
- £500 could purchase new high-visibility and protective gear for a volunteer rider, ensuring their safety on the road.
Ready to start? Need some help or guidance? Reach out to our Fundraising Team today.